The Thing that Makes her Cry
by Cards
Summary: Spot is a womanizer. What about the girl who loves him for that?
1. Chapter 1

Cards is every guys friend, she ain't perfectly pretty but she isn't a hag. Her eyes are pretty, and her long hair is too. But there's something about her that makes her not as attractive as she could be. She wears loose skirts, long things that even the nun's don't disapprove of. Her shirts were cast offs, off white, and dirty. She wears a big smile a lot of the time and most people think she's friendly enough.

She has is bad for Spot Conlon though. Not that a ton of girl's don't. But most who do don't like him for the reasons the rest left him. Cards could look up at him through her eyes and see the asshole, and she would want to kiss him even more.

It wasn't a secret. Hell, if I know then everyone knows. But she just shrugs it off. Spot's known forever anyhow. She just looks at him different. Her smile is a little more relaxed when he's around and she's a little less tense. On the rare occasion he touches her she seems to literally melt into his touch.

But other then that. You can't tell out right. Maybe a small glimmer in her eyes. She's called Cards for so many reasons. Only one of which isn't appropriate. One is that she holds her cards close to her. Of course like all of us she got the nickname first and the reasons came after.

She works hard; she's not a newsie she works as a stagehand in a vaudeville show. Makes her okay money but she works a lot and she wants nothing more then to rest when she gets back here.

Spot ain't a newsie either any more. He just looks after those who are. We both work at the same factory. It's a waste of his life. Both of them are fairly amazing in different ways. I wouldn't say they are perfect compliments but I will say that they handle each other pretty well.

Spot sometimes wants her to leave more then she wants to though. They'll yell at each other in horrible ways and he'll insult her. Cards will just take it. But I dunno. They say things to each other. He'll sigh as they wait for the younger ones to come home and say something about old married couples. That's when she looks most hurt. When he yells at her. Or ignores her she can deal with that. But if he says something sweet. Like once Maps tried to take her out on a date and she got all dressed up, her smile wide and bright like Spot himself wanted her on his arm. Spot saw her, his eyes flicking up and down her quickly.

"You look nice," He'd said and she looked crushed. Maps said the date was an absolute failure. But Cards gladly went to his bed.

Sometimes I think we all forget she's a girl. I mean, not like that we think she's got man bits, just that she's not well, Magic. Magic's all sorts of female. She's girl in a way that makes priests do double takes. Cards just spends so much time just helping that she's more of an adult.

I see her when I come in late from a shift; Spot never stays late even if it pays extra. But Cards will be tired from helping beautiful woman change into costumes they strip out of later on and I can see it in her eyes how much she wants to just lean on his shoulder.

But she never will.

They look right though.

And I think that's what makes her cry more then the ignoring her, or the fucking around he'll do with anything else that will flop on its back. That she can see the logic and the reason.

Disclaimer: I own Maps, Cards, and Magic. Disney owns Spot.

Author's note: Yeah this is the most biographical I'll ever get. Enjoy my pathetic ness.


	2. Chapter 2

He's just sitting there, Cards next to him, her eyes are hurt again. And I wonder what he's said. They don't notice me their world is too closed right now, They can't see me. All Spot can do is look over at her.

"What happened to your eye?" He asks softly, his hand reaching out to touch her chin, to cup it lightly.

"Nothing" She says, there's a cut across her cheek though, and a bruise forming over her left eye.

"Something happened Cards" He says calmly. "What happened." His eyes are chips of pure blue steel. I fear for the person who hurts Cards. Spot's got a special place for her. Not where she wants to be. Far from it, but above the women he sleeps with.

"I just got hurt at work!" She snaps turning away from his touch, though I know she wants it. Spot is surprised, normally Cards welcomes what ever he'll give her. "You've seen worse. Remember when Coal came in with his leg chopped off?"

"Yeah! And I took carea him just like I'm tryin' ta take care of you!" Spot nearly stands. "Now get over here." they're only a foot apart, and he could grab her if he wanted. Cards slides over glaring, I can see her jaw clench like she's in pain. And she is. It hurts to have him be so nice to her.

She sits still as he lightly looks over the break "What happened?" He asks again.

"I told you, got hurt at work"

"This is a knife cut Cards!" He snaps, "I'm not stupid. What happened?"

"Some guy roughed me up" She sighs. "Outside the building."

"Who?"

"You think I know?"

"He" Spot jerked his chin and his eyes turned colder, harder.

"No" Normally in a fight between the two Cards gets as mad as Spot, but today, she's calm completely calm. "No he didn't."

Spot looks relieved and for the first time seems to notice me "You see anyone when you came in?"

"No one but the boys."

"None of them would do that."

"Less they weren't looking to hurt you Cards."

"Spot, no one is after you!" Cards says exasperated, but I can see that she thinks it might be true too. Spot influences things. He ain't got any power, but he knows everyone who does. True to form, all the newsies we were have all grown up. Mush, or Micheal Meyers is on the stage, the real ones not the vaudeville places where anyone can get on, but he's on Broadway. He's really famous, but he still depends on Spot Conlon for information and talent. David Jacobs is making it pretty well in the newspaper as is Jack Kelly who both flock to Spot to learn the stories that he won't tell anyone else. Racetrack Higgens is in the Mob, and he's taking good care to keep on the unofficial leader of Brooklyn's on his side.

These connections only do so much for Spot though. They don't get him money, but they do get him this building, and maybe someday they'll give him money. Racetrack is always trying to get him mobbed up, but its not working so well. Spot's too smart, and too much of a leader to follow, and race doesn't want him to challenge his leadership.

All these connections mean that these powerful friends who trust him sometimes put him in danger. And now he's looking at Cards in a different light. Knowing she's been scared and hurt for him. And that she'd have never told him.

"I gotta talk to Race" He says slowly, he turns to me. There are few reasons why these important people wouldn't want him on their side. Spot was the reason there was backing for the strike. People listen to him, they don't want him mad at them. I don't but I want to know if Cards will argue, what will happen after this. "Go get that lousy son of a bitch."

He won't talk like that in front of the other Girls, but he'll do it while holding Cards' chin delicately in his hand. He turns away from me assured that I'll do his bidding. Cards is looking over at me, and for a second I too see the perfection of if they were together. Something about the picture in front of me, of Cards' strength and Spot's power. Of their cold eyes both turned towards me. Spot's thumb strokes the wound, and for the first time Cards does not melt into his touch, she meets his eyes and nods.

I turn to leave as he leans in and kisses her.

Author's notes: Um I kinda wanted to make shit up. -sigh- Yes. So people wanted them to get together. And I read a book on pirates. And their women. Um, it really made more sense in my head. Does the thing about Spot and his connections make sense. Ohh! I'm in NYC! Btw, leaving it soon though, I'm on the train heading home for Christmas break.

Remember: Reviews tell me what to do. I very rarely have an actual plan as I write so reading reviews that people leave me tells me what people want. (like this. I was gunna leave it... but now OHH! I'm in BROOKLYN! -waves at old apartment building- Hello Jewtown! I miss you and your Hebrew! ... Sorry about that. Little excitable. Okay so I was gunna leave it but people liked it... Ohh I'm in the Bronx! I feel so gangsta (please don't kill me.) Okay, I'm just gunna shut up and say review... which for some reason I can't type all in caps... odd.


	3. Chapter 3

Racetrack hurries, he knows that when Spot Conlon calls you come quick, I stand behind him as both Cards and Spot sit. For once they're a unit and its scary, Spot stands hurridly "Why the fuck told anyone about her?" He jabbed his chin to Cards, who has a bandage, now, she stands.

"Race, what do you know about what happened?" She says, placing a calming hand on Spot's arm. He looks over at her and nods his eyes flicking back to Racetrack.

"My boss sent a boy over to rough her up coming from work" Race says. "He wants you in"

Spot laughs. "Your fucking boss thinks that will make me want to join him? Tell him to watch his back, actually don't. Tell my why you didn't stop him."

"Spot, Hey! I only heard about it after, I'm not high up enough to be told the whos and whens." Race puts his hands up. "I heard about it from the guy who did it. He was acting on orders Spot!"

"This is why I won't join your mob, or any mob" Spot muttered. "The guy probly thinks Cards is my wife or something. He don't know anything." Spot starts pacing as Cards turns to Race.

"How did you hear?" She asks "You friends with the guy?"

"Look, everyone knows that I know Spot Conlon. He told me incase this happened."

"Why Cards" Spot shakes his head, "She ain't my girl, and she ain't related to me." He mutters this. "Most people forget about ya" He says looking at Cards, who shrugs. She does slip through noticing when she ain't with him.

"Someone would have to know her to know she was close to me." He glares at Racetrack.

"Look Spot, don't leap to anything here. I didn't tell a thing. Anyone here knows who she is. I mean come on. There's still bets around as to when you two will get hitched."

Cards nearly hits Racetrack her eyes full of hatred at that moment. She calms down as Spot catches her eye and she looks away, her body relaxing from its previously rigid stance.

"Look all I'm saying is that it would take maybe a week of watching you to realize Cards is different from the girls you fuck." Race shrugs "And people have been watching you since you were fourteen. You should be prepared to do something about it."

Spot looks like he's been hit as he realizes that this could be only the first of many things. "The kids" He says looking up the stairs where the newsies under his care were sleeping. Suddenly it seems like everyone he's ever come in contact with is in danger. "Why do they want me?" He asks looking up at Race. "I'm just a factory worker."

Racetrack looks over at Cards who nods sitting down, Spot sits next to her. "Spot, you might only be a factory worker, but everyone knows you can be more. Do you think that you're just gunna get married to some girl and become a father, work horrible hours and end up cheating on that girl?" She asked softly. "No, Spot you're supposed to become more. Everyone has seen it since you were a kid. Even if you don't want to its obvious someone does."

Spot sighs looking at Cards carefully. "What should I do?" He asked her.

"Protect the boys" She said "Move out from here. Get Race's boss." She nods. "You need to show that anyone who messes with you is in for real trouble."

Race stands, looking at the two of them. "Spot you know I'm on your side. I can get you the information you'll need."

Spot doesn't seem to notice him. "Cards, I can't do it alone" He gulps "I really can't."

"You don't have to" She whispers. "You know I'll always be there for you." Both her and Spot understand the gravity of what has happened.

"I'll find us an apartment" He says looking back towards Race. "Tell me where I can get your boss. Make it known I'm leaving the lodging house." He gulps. Cards raises her eyebrows, knowing that somehow things are different for them. The two of them have changed and its unnerving for both of them. Cards looks over at Spot who smile slightly at her. And finally they click.

Author's notes: Mkay, I think this may be the end of this fic, mainly because nothing happens in this story line that I want revealed until I choose to do so in Not like That. I didn't intend for this to be so um, self inserty, or really I did. But I didn't intend for it to go past one chapter. So if I get insperation, more of this but otherwise it will all be on on Not like That.


End file.
